Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Noriega May Take Stand at His Trial

Deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel A. Noriega, who has listened and impassively as dozens of convicted cocaine traffickers told of his greed for drug bribes, may take the witness stand Monday at his trial in federal court in Miami. Defense lawyers said they would decide over the weekend if he will testify. The defense so far has mustered little evidence to counter U.S. government charges that Noriega demanded and received millions of dollars from Colombia’s Medellin cartel in exchange for protecting tons of U.S.-bound cocaine shipped through Panama.